US president Donald Trump has ordered federal officials to clean out Los Angeles from what he described as an “invasion” by criminal migrants as the protests intensify in the county. The protests have intensified after the trump administration deployed the National Guard to quell the protests.
“A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday.
“Now, violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — but these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve... Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.”
Trump also instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to coordinate with federal agencies to quell the unrest. He made these comments two days after the violent clashes between protesters and federal immigration agents, forcing Trump to deploy 2000 National Guard troops.
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Tensions peaked Sunday afternoon as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the county detention centre in downtown Los Angeles. Video of the National Guard facing off with protesters triggered escalation, yet it confirmed that the agency had not used force against protesters.
Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the federal “takeover” of California’s National Guard as unconstitutional and politically motivated, formally demanding that President Trump withdraw the order and return control of the troops to the state.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” he claimed in a post on X “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re needed.”
Homeland Security officials accused local politicians of failing to uphold public safety. “Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Trump's critics argue that he bypasses constitutional norms. Senator Bernie Sanders called the deployment of the Feds an “authoritarian move.”
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